If you've found your way to this page, it can only mean one thing—you're in trouble at Andrews University. You were accused of some type of disciplinary misconduct. You went through a difficult investigation. You defended yourself at a hearing, but ultimately, you lost. Now you're facing a serious sanction. If you're here, it's probably at least suspension, but it could also be dismissal.
Before we go any further, we need to say this: You still have a chance to avoid those fates. You're entitled to appeal your hearing outcome. And you've come to the right place. No one in the country knows more about defending student rights than the Lento Law Firm. So you've got that going for you.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team is always on your side, no matter the situation. We know your rights under the law. We also know how the Andrews judicial process works, and we can show you ways to use it to your advantage. We care about your education, and we'll do everything in our power to protect your future.
You cannot afford to wait to contact us, though. From the moment you're notified of the hearing outcome, you have just seven calendar days to file your appeal. That's not a lot of time to prepare your case. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your situation.
The Appeals Process at Andrews University
Before you undertake your appeal at Andrews, it's important you understand what an appeal is not. It is not a chance to re-argue your case. It is not a second opportunity to prove your innocence. In fact, the question of your innocence isn't even involved in an appeal. That can be a difficult fact to wrap your mind around. If you win your appeal, you may get the chance to re-argue your innocence, but that's not what you're doing now.
- As a starting point, you're not actually innocent anymore. You were given the presumption of innocence when you were initially charged, and you carried that presumption up to the moment when you were found guilty (“Responsible”). Right or wrong, though, you are, in the eyes of Andrews University, guilty of your offense.
- As a result of that Responsible verdict, the burden of proof in the case has shifted. At your original hearing, the university had the burden of proving you guilty. Now, you have the burden of proving the school made a mistake.
- “Mistake” does not mean Andrews got the verdict wrong. Again, that's not in question. The question is whether you had a fair chance to make your case. You cannot offer arguments for your innocence. You must offer arguments about fairness, and there are basically only three options.
- You have new evidence, evidence not available at the time of your hearing, that could potentially alter the hearing outcome.
- Some procedural error occurred significant enough to have cost you the chance at a fair hearing.
- The university has imposed a sanction that is far in excess of what your offense deserves.
- Appeals are a check on the system, an afterthought in the process. As a result, you may not have the chance to present your case in person. Instead, the Citizenship Appeals Committee may make its decision behind closed doors, and your entire case may rest on a single written document.
- Unless you've discovered new evidence, you must rely entirely on the record of the original hearing to make your points. Remember, you are not submitting evidence of your innocence. You need evidence that you were treated unfairly by the process.
- Winning your appeal does not mean winning your case. The Committee has just three options open to it. It can affirm the hearing outcome, it can reduce your sanction, or it can order a brand new hearing.
This shift in thinking is perhaps the most important element of your appeal. In a practical sense, though, here's what you can expect to happen.
- The Lento Law Firm attorney will go over the entire history of your case.
- Next, they'll review the official record of the hearing, looking for grounds to support your appeal.
- They'll identify your best arguments.
- They'll draft an appeal that presents your arguments in a clear and compelling way and connects those arguments to concrete evidence from the record.
What's at Stake
From a judicial perspective, you are at a disadvantage when you're filing an appeal. You've exhausted a number of your due process rights, for example. You can win an appeal, though. In fact, students often win appeals. The reason is simple: universities aren't set up to dispense justice, so they don't do it very well. Students and faculty who serve on judicial panels are given minimal training, and they make mistakes. Those mistakes entitle you to a second chance to prove your innocence, and the appeals process guarantees you have that.
Consider the alternative. If you've been dismissed from Andrews, it likely means the end of your academic career—not just at Andrews but at any university. You'll have trouble transferring elsewhere with a disciplinary dismissal on your record. The situation if you've been suspended can be just as difficult. It's never easy coming back to school after time away. You're out of the academic routine. You may also lose your financial aid package, which means paying for courses is entirely on you. But even if you should manage to earn your degree, your record will still reflect your misconduct, and that can cost you job opportunities.
So, while you certainly can win your appeal, the process can be tricky, and with so much at risk, you just can't afford to try and handle your defense on your own. You don't have to. The Lento Law Firm is here for you, no matter what your situation. We'll guide you through procedures, ensure you put forward your strongest arguments and protect your rights from start to finish.
Fight For Your Future
Whether you're entirely innocent or you're simply looking to get fair treatment from Andrews University, you owe it to yourself to continue the fight. We're here and ready to help. We'll guide you through the entire appeals process, make sure you put forward your very strongest arguments, and guarantee Andrews respects your rights.
As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. There are deadlines for filing your appeal. Get started now. Contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
